Dwayne Brown/Bob Jacobs

Headquarters, Washington, DC September 7, 2000

(Phone 202/358-1600)

RELEASE: 00-136

SHUTTLE LAUNCH BEGINS NEW ODYSSEY IN HUMAN SPACE FLIGHT;

MOVING DAYFOR INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION

This week's launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis begins an odyssey

unique in the history of human space flight. If all goes asplanned, at 8:45 a.m. EDT Friday, Sept. 8, five American astronautsand two Russian cosmonauts will soar into orbit and beginpreparations necessary to declare the International Space Station --the largest building in space -- open for business.

The mission includes a six-and-a-half hour spacewalk by Astronaut

Ed Lu and Cosmonaut Yuri Malenchenko to a point 100 feet above theShuttle's cargo bay, the farthest any tethered spacewalker has everventured.

Under the watchful eye of spacewalk choreographer Dan Burbank, the

two spacewalkers will ride as far as possible on a Canadian-built"arm," then use tethers and handrails. They will install a six-foot long magnetometer and a boom that will serve as a three-dimensional "compass" for the station, and connect telemetry,electrical, and communications cables.

"NASA, with its international partners, has managed to bring the

world together under one roof in space," said NASA AdministratorDaniel S. Goldin. "The vision and cooperation needed to createthis unique global village, and the scale of the constructionproject are unprecedented in the chronicles of any space program."

The Shuttle mission also includes:

a kidney cell experiment designed to explore how human genes

respond to the unique environment of space;

a test run of a miniaturized sensor to take real-time measurements

of the Shuttle's environmental and life support systems;

a host of student experiments including one called "The Pittsburgh

Steelers in Space," designed by students at the DePaul Institutefor the Deaf in Pittsburgh, PA, to determine the effects ofmicrogravity and radiation on the oxidation of various types ofsteel and the minerals involved in the manufacture of steel.

While researchers and scientists look forward to the day the

station has full-time occupants, the crew of Atlantis first have tocomplete some down-to-Earth tasks. Those include stocking the spacestation with supplies, unpacking gear, and hooking up equipmentneeded by the its first permanent residents, who are scheduled tobe launched in November.

Among the supplies being unloaded this mission are laptop

computers, vacuum cleaners, a color printer, clothing, food warmersfor the "kitchen," trash bags, critical life support systems,television cables, and even the first space station toilet.

"We've got a framework and a solid foundation," said pilot Scott

Altman, who compared the mission with building a house in orbit at17,500 miles per hour. "It's now up to us fix the pipes, run thecables, and try to have it ready for the next crew to move in bythe time we come home."

The astronauts will also unload equipment for the space station's"health clinic," including its first exercise equipment -- aspecially outfitted bicycle and treadmill that won't disturb thesensitive microgravity experiments on board.

Once fully outfitted and permanently staffed, the International

Space Station will be a research laboratory unparalleled byanything on Earth. After two decades of science aboard the SpaceShuttle, scientists will now have a more advanced, round-the-clockorbiting outpost.

"When you're up there 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a

year, you can get a lot done," said NASA Chief Scientist KathyOlsen. "You don't have to try to cram everything into a two- orthree-day window, or have to spread your research over a number offlights."

Included on this Shuttle flight is an experiment that will examine

how microgravity alters gene expression in kidney cells, whichenables kidneys to develop and function normally. This experimentwill increase our understanding of how the human body adapts tospace, which ultimately may advance our knowledge of human diseaseprocesses.The two tiny sensors tested by NASA on this flight make real-timemeasurements in the Shuttle's environmental and life supportsystems, thanks to breakthroughs in miniaturization that have ledto the introduction of a 1-inch in diameter wireless system thatcan send temperature measurements to a laptop computer for fivemonths. This new technology will significantly reduce the time ittakes to obtain on-orbit temperature measurements and will increasethe capability to monitor temperatures over long periods of time.

"This mission truly represents the beginning of a long and fruitful

adventure for NASA and the international space community," addedGoldin. "The space program has led to thousands of new technologies, newbreakthroughs in medical research, new medicines, new discoveries that haveliterally changed the lives of people all over the world. I can't wait to getstarted."

The launch of the Space Shuttle Atlantis can be seen on NASA

Television, which is located on GE-2, Transponder 9C, at 85 degreesWest longitude, vertical polarization, with a frequency of 3880MHz, and audio of 6.8 MHz.

You can also see the launch on your computer at home or office.Details can be found at: